Hybrid Residential and Commercial Building

ABSTRACT

A hybrid residential and commercial building. The building includes two or more ground floor single-story units configured for commercial use that each have a front facing entry for providing access to each individual unit. The building further includes two or more multi-story units configured for residential use situated above the ground floor units, wherein each of the multi-story units has a dedicated rear facing entry. The building has a front side facing a public street and a rear side facing a private courtyard area. Additionally, the individual ground floor units are separated by removable demising walls, which allows a business to expand by combining adjacent units. The hybrid residential and commercial building provides an economically efficient alternative to current building types that are restricted to a single type of use by providing for both residential and commercial use within a flexible ground-floor space while providing dedicated residential units directly above.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/258,728 filed on Nov. 23, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to building arrangements. Specifically, the present invention provides a building having both commercial units and living units with separate entryways situated on opposing sides of the building for independently accessing each space.

It can be prohibitively expensive for an entrepreneur or other business owner to start or maintain a business venture due to the combined expenses of maintaining both a place of business and a residence. The duties involved with running a business often require the business owner to work late and to spend many hours away from their home. Extended work hours lead to a poor work/life balance, which can negatively impact the personal life of the business owner as the business owner attempts to balance work with the other aspects of their life.

Several strategies have been proposed for maintaining a comfortable work/life balance. One solution is to provide dedicated times for work and relaxation. This solution may be effective for normal working individuals, but does not consider the difficulties that may arise for entrepreneurs. While most jobs allow for downtime, an entrepreneur often must manage finances, answer phone calls and emails, and complete various other tasks that would normally be spread out to be completed by several employees.

Another strategy for maintaining a healthy work/life balance is to live closer to the workplace. However, it may be prohibitively expensive for an individual to afford a residence if the workplace is located in an area with high property values. A similar strategy is to work out of a home office. However, it may be awkward and undesirable for a business owner to have customers or other strangers in their homes.

Most of these strategies focus on separating the work life and home life of an individual. However, for many entrepreneurs, their work life and home life are intertwined, as running a business often requires working at odd hours. These solutions further fail to recognize that an entrepreneur may lose business opportunities in their downtime. In light of the above, there is need for a hybrid residential and commercial building that allows business owners to avail themselves to customer traffic and enjoy a private personal residence in the same unit, thus providing a means for maintaining a comfortable work/life balance for even the busiest entrepreneur or business owner. It is further desirable to provide a unit dedicated solely to residential use situated directly above a unit dedicated to both commercial and residential use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of building plans now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a hybrid residential and commercial building configured to provide business owners with a living space situated directly above their commercial space, wherein the living space has a private dedicated entry on a side of the building opposing the commercial space entry. The hybrid residential and commercial building comprises a first one-story unit and a second one-story unit adjacent to the first one-story unit, wherein the first one-story unit and the second one-story unit define a first level. A second level situated above the first level is defined by a first multi-story unit and a second multi-story unit. Each one-story unit has its own dedicated business entry positioned on a front side of the building that faces a public street, and another residential entry facing a rear side of the building. Each multi-story unit has its own dedicated entry positioned on the rear side of the building opposing the front side, wherein the rear side of the building faces a private pedestrian walkway or courtyard. The hybrid residential and commercial building provides an economically efficient alternative to current building types that are restricted to a single type of use by providing business owners with a combined business and residential space on a ground floor, and another residential space situated directly above their combined business and residential space.

One object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid residential and commercial building that allows business owners to maintain a residence in the same unit as their business, allowing occupants to both live and work in the same space simultaneously.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid residential and commercial building wherein the ground floor hybrid business and residential units are separated by removable demising walls, allowing business owners to expand their business by combining adjacent units.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a residential space situated directly above a hybrid business and residential space, allowing business owners to expand into to the additional residential space as their residential space needs grow.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid commercial and residential building wherein an occupant of a solely residential space can expand into a hybrid business and residential space in order to connect their work environment directly to their residence, eliminating the need for the occupant to go outside to move between the different spaces.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the front of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the rear of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the first level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the second level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the third level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

FIG. 6 shows an elevational view of the front of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

FIG. 7 shows an elevational view of the rear of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the hybrid residential and commercial building. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as a building used for both residential and commercial purposes. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

As used herein, “unit” in the context of a “one-story unit” or a “multi-story unit” is an enclosed structure capable of being utilized as a self-contained residential dwelling and/or commercial space by one or more individuals. As used herein, an “access way” is a structure or mechanism for obtaining entry to a unit, e.g., a foyer entry, a stairway, an elevator, or a lift. Further, it should be understood that each “one-story unit” is configured for both residential and commercial use and each “multi-story unit” is configured solely for residential use.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown perspective views of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. The building 111 includes multiple one-story units situated at street level and multiple multi-story units situated thereabove. In the illustrated embodiment, the one-story units include a first one-story unit 112A and a second one-story unit 112B adjacent to the first one-story unit 112A. The first one-story unit 112A and the second one-story unit 112B define the first level 122 of the building 111. The shape of the first level 131 is preferably rectangular. In alternate embodiments, the building 111 may include additional one-story units adjacent to one another.

As mentioned above, the one-story units 112A, 112B are configured for both residential and commercial use. Each of the one-story units 112A, 112B includes an entry situated on the front side 117 of the building 111. The front side 117 of the building 111 faces a public street 201. The portion of each one-story unit 112A, 112B configured for commercial use is situated toward the front side 117 of the building 111. This ensures that businesses occupying the one-story units avail themselves pedestrians and motorists traveling on the public street 201, increasing the business's exposure to potential customers.

The one-story units 112A, 112B further include an entry 121A, 121B situated on a rear side 120 of the building 111 facing a private pedestrian walkway or courtyard 202. This entry 121A, 121B provides direct access to the portion of the one-story unit 112A, 112B configured for residential use. In other words, the portion of the one-story units 112A, 112B dedicated to commercial use is situated toward the front side 117 of the building 111, and the portion dedicated to residential use is situated toward the rear side 120 of the building 111. The location of the rear side 120 of the building facing the pedestrian walkway or courtyard 202 ensures that occupants of the one-story units 112A, 112B have a private entrance to the residential portion of their space.

The building 111 further comprises a first multi-story unit 113A and a second multi-story 113B adjacent thereto, wherein the first multi-story unit 113A and the second multi-story 113B are situated above the corresponding first one-story unit 112A and the second one-story unit 112B. Each multi-story unit 113A, 113B is configured for residential use. In the illustrated embodiment, each multi-story unit comprises at least a first story defining a second level 118 of the building 111 and a second story defining a third level 119 of the building 111. Thus, the one-story units 112A, 112B define the first level 122 of the building 111, the first story of the multi-story units 113A, 113B define the second level 118 of the building 111, and the second story of the multi-story units 113A, 113B define the third level 119 of the building 111. In alternate embodiments, the multi-story units may comprise additional stories defining additional levels, and no claim is made regarding a specific maximum height restriction of the multi-story units 113A, 113B. The perimeter of the first level 122, the second level 118, and the third level 119 are coextensive with one another such that the exterior walls of the first level 122, second level 118, and third level 119 are coplanar. Additionally, the first level 122, second level 118, and third level 119 individually and in combination have the same geometric shape, such as a rectangular cuboid.

The building 111 further includes a plurality of entries for providing access to the units. The first one-story unit 112A includes a first entry 115A and the second one-story unit 112B includes a second entry 115B. Each of the one-story unit entries 115A, 115B provide access to the commercial portion of their respective one-story units 112A, 112B. The first and second entries 115A, 115B are situated on the front side 117 of the building 111, which as previously noted faces a public street 201 in order to increase a business's exposure to potential customers.

The building 111 further comprises a third entry 116A for providing direct access to the first multi-story unit 113A and a fourth entry 116B for providing direct access to the second multi-story unit 113B. The third and fourth entries 116A, 116B are situated on the rear side 120 of the building 111, which faces a private walkway 202. The third and fourth entries 116A, 116B provide private entrances to the multi-story units 113A, 113B, which are configured solely for residential use. The private walkway 202 may be part of a courtyard, common area, or other type of private outdoor space that is separated from the public street.

In the illustrated embodiment, the building 111 also includes a fifth entry 121A and a sixth entry 121B, both of which are situated on the rear side 120 of the building 111. The fifth entry 121A and the sixth entry 121B provide direct access to the first one-story unit 112A and the second one-story unit 112B, respectively. The fifth and sixth entries 121A, 121B are utilized as a private entrance to the residential portion of the first and second one-story units 112A, 112B for a business owner, as the fifth and sixth entries 121A, 121B face the private walkway 202. This allows the occupant to maintain a separate private entry for their personal use in addition to the public front-facing entries that customers use.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-7, there are shown plan and elevational views of the first level, second level, third level, front side, and rear side of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. The first one-story unit 121A and the second one-story unit 121B defining the first level 122 are separated by a common demising wall 125. The demising wall 125 is removable so that a business owner can utilize adjacent one-story units 121A, 121B simultaneously as a larger open space should the business need room to expand. Additionally, each of the one-story units 121A, 121B include one or more interior walls 126 that are removable, which further allows business owners to open up the interior space of the first level 122 in order to meet particular space or organizational needs.

As previously mentioned, the first and second entries 115A, 115B are disposed on the front side 117 of the building 111, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth entries 116A, 116B, 121A, 121B are disposed on the rear side 120 of the building 111. In the illustrated embodiment, the fifth and sixth entries 121A, 121B provide access to a portion of the first and second one-story unit 112A, 112B configured for residential use, wherein the residential portion is separated via an interior wall 126 from the portion of the unit configured for commercial use. It is envisioned that the business owner will utilize this separate residential space as a private office or as a sleeping area. Additionally, each of the third and fourth entries 116A, 116B, which provide entry to the first and second multi-story units 113A, 113B, include an access way 127 that provides individuals with a means for reaching the second level 122. In the illustrated embodiment, the access way 127 is a flight of stairs. However, other access ways 127 may be utilized, such as an elevator, a lift, or the like.

The first and second multi-story units 113A, 113B defining the second level 118 each include a deck 131A, 131B. The decks 131A, 131B are coextensive with the second level 118 and are situated on the rear side 120 of the building so that they provide a private outdoor space for residents. In an alternate embodiment, the decks 131A, 131B may be coextensive with the third level 119 of the building. The interior of each multi-story unit 113A, 113B can be configured it a variety of ways, and may include a number of rooms common to a residential space, such as a great room 132, a bathroom 133, a kitchen 134, a bedroom 135, and the like. Additionally, the access ways 127A, 127B continue upward past the second level 118 in order to further provide access to the third level 119 of their respective multi-story units 113A, 113B.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect o the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A building, comprising: a first one-story unit; a second one-story unit adjacent to the first one-story unit; the first one-story unit and the second one-story unit defining a first level; a first multi-story unit and a second multi-story unit defining a second level, the second level situated above the first level; a first entry positioned to provide access to the first one-story unit; a second entry positioned to provide access to the second one-story unit; a third entry including a first access way configured to provide entry to the first multi-story unit; a fourth entry including a second access way configured to provide entry to the second multi-story unit; wherein the first entry and second entry are each situated on a front side of the building; and wherein the third entry and fourth entry are each situated on a rear side of the building opposing the front side of the building. 2) The building of claim 1, wherein the first multi-story unit and the second multi-story unit further define a third level, the third level situated above the second level. 3) The building of claim 1, further comprising: a fifth entry positioned to provide access to the first one-story unit; and a sixth entry positioned to provide access to the second one-story unit; wherein the fifth entry and the six entry are each situated on the rear side of the building. 4) The building of claim 1, wherein the first level is arranged in a rectangular configuration and the second level is coextensive with the first level. 5) The building of claim 1, wherein each of the first one-story and second one-story units has a plurality of interior walls, wherein the plurality of interior walls are removable. 6) The building of claim 1, further comprising: a demising wall separating the first one-story unit and the second one-story unit, wherein the demising wall is removable. 7) The building of claim 1, wherein the front side of the building faces a public street. 8) The building of claim 1, wherein the rear side of the building faces a private walkway. 9) The building of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first access way and second access way is a stairway. 10) The building of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first access way and second access way is an elevator. 11) The building of claim 1, wherein the first multi-story unit includes a first deck and the second multi-story unit includes a second deck, wherein the first deck and second deck are situated on the ea side of the building. 12) The building of claim 11, wherein the first deck and the second deck are disposed on the second level of the building. 13) The building of claim 11, wherein the first deck and the second deck are disposed on the third level of the building. 